British Royal Navy Archives

Tenth in the line of British-built U-class submarines, HMS Upholder is seen riding outboard of HMS Urge at Lazaretto. In one of only two authenticated photos of Upholder, the submarine's high bow is prominent compared to the flush bow of HMS Urge.

British Royal Navy

HMS Upholder Fought In Mediterranean To Defeat Rommel In North Africa

By Robert Barr Smith

She was a tiny vessel, not really designed for the dangers and hardships of war in far places and deep waters. Read more

Controversial 'Bomber' Harris shaped the British strategic air offensive against Nazi Germany as head of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command.

British Royal Navy

“Bomber” Harris and His Royal Air Force Bomber Command

By Michael D. Hull

Racing his Bentley at breakneck speed between his High Wycombe headquarters and the Air Ministry during World War II, Air Marshal Arthur Travers Harris was the bane of motorcycle policemen on the London road. Read more

On September 6, 1940, the destroyer USS Buchanan exits Boston Harbor en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and new Lend-Lease duties with the British Royal Navy. Buchanan was renamed HMS Campbeltown and gained everlasting fame during the commando raid on St. Nazaire in 1942.

British Royal Navy

Trade of 50 American Destroyers for British Bases in World War II

By William H. Langenberg

In early September 1940, the world was in turmoil. The battle of Britain was nearing its climax, and elsewhere global tensions ran high. Read more

On the armored flight deck of the HMS Formidable crewmen fold the wings of a fighter plane that has just landed.

British Royal Navy

The HMS Illustrious & Other Armored British Carriers Left Their Mark

By Sam McGowan

When one thinks of carrier warfare in World War II, the Japanese and U.S. navies usually come to mind. Read more

President Franklin D. Roosevelt boards the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to attend his first meeting with Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

British Royal Navy

Winston Churchill And Franklin Roosevelt’s Arcadia Conference

By Michael D. Hull

Still stunned by the sneak Japanese onslaught on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, American families tried to summon up their Christmas spirit in December 1941. Read more

British Royal Navy

Operation Archery: The British Commando Raid

By Robert Barr Smith

They came out of the sea, out of the darkness, and they brought death, terror, and destruction with them. Read more

British Royal Navy

The Battle of France: Furor Teutonicus & Gallic Débâcle

By Blaine Taylor

The year 1939 was one of massive military parades across Europe. On April 20, the largest ever was held in Berlin to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday, complete with the paratroopers, wheeled artillery, tanks, half-tracks for motorized infantry, and overhead Luftwaffe fly-bys that would mark the coming campaigns and revolutionize warfare forever. Read more

British Royal Navy

World War I: Inception of the Aircraft Carrier

By Brad Reynolds

In 1898, Samuel P. Langley’s first flying prototype sparked interest from the U.S. Navy, which immediately began looking for military applications. Read more

British Royal Navy

Swan Song for the CSS Shenandoah

By Mark Simmons

The River Mersey was fog shrouded on the morning of November 6, 1865, and the city of Liverpool was scarcely visible from the deck of the CSS Shenandoah. Read more

Although depth charges weren't fully implemented until the later stages of World War I, they did help to thwart future attacks by German U-Boats.

British Royal Navy

The Depth Charge: Thwarting the German U-Boat

by Brad Reynolds

At the beginning of World War I, British naval strategists did not believe German submarines would play a significant role in the Atlantic or North Sea. Read more

After the fall of France, Britain prepared for the inevitable: Operation Sea Lion, a Nazi invasion of England. So why did it never happen?

British Royal Navy

Why Operation Sea Lion, the Nazi Invasion of England, Never Happened

Michael E. Haskew

Without doubt, the fall of France was an unmitigated disaster for the Allied cause. However, for all its failures in command, strategy, and tactics, it could have been much worse. Read more

Billionaire Paul Allen claims to have found the Japanese battleship Musashi, sunk during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

British Royal Navy

Paul Allen Finds Musashi, Sunk During Battle of Leyte Gulf

by James Hart

Today, billionaire Paul Allen has claimed to have found the Musashi, flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, sunk during one of the largest naval engagements in history. Read more

British Royal Navy

Important Women in World War 2: Virginia Hall

By Michael D. Hull

Slender, five feet, seven inches tall, and with a warm smile that belied toughness and leadership ability, Virginia “Dindy” Hall of Baltimore had a wooden leg and a price on her head. Read more

British Royal Navy

Life in the Navy: From the First Spanish Armada to Pearl Harbor

By Keith Milton

The age of the sailing warships lasted less than three hundred years, beginning roughly with the battle of the Spanish armada against the English fleet under Howard and Drake in 1588, and ending at the Battle of Navarrino in 1827, the last major naval engagement fought completely under canvas. Read more

British Royal Navy

William Bligh’s Mutiny on the Bounty

By Roy Morris Jr.

William Bligh, like the title character in Woody Allen’s 1983 movie Zelig, seemed to turn up everywhere history was being made in the latter decades of the 18th century. Read more

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